Watch: Reporter Stays Calm While Huge Flying Cockroach Crawls On Her In SFV

SHERMAN OAKS, CA — A KTLA reporter maintained her composure during a live broadcast Tuesday night as a large flying cockroach crawled across her body before taking off from her microphone.

Rachel Menitoff was reporting from Sherman Oaks about the lingering effects of Southern California’s heat wave when the insect landed on her shoulder.

Video shows the cockroach moving across Menitoff’s stomach, chest and neck as she continued explaining how elevated overnight temperatures can limit recovery from daytime heat.

The bug eventually jumped onto her microphone and flew away. Menitoff finished the live report before reacting.

“Oh gosh. Oh, I feel something,” she said after the segment ended.

Menitoff later told KTLA she knew the cockroach was on her but feared acknowledging it would prevent her from completing the report.

“I knew it was on me,” she said. “But I knew if I took notice of it, I wouldn’t be able to continue on with the report.”

Her colleagues replayed the moment on the KTLA 5 Morning News the following day and praised her professionalism.

“That’s our Rachel Menitoff, who is so professional,” anchor Megan Henderson said. “She kept her cool. There’s no way I would have been able to keep going.”

The clip quickly spread on social media, where viewers applauded Menitoff’s ability to stay focused despite the unwanted visitor.

Watch the full report on KTLA.